MY Y WEEK KICKS OFF ANNUAL CAMPAIGN FOR DOOR COUNTY YMCA

    The Door County YMCA is launching its’ Annual Campaign on Monday, February 9th with “My Y Week”. The Y’s Annual Campaign ensures that everyone in Door County has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive with the great programs offered at the YMCA.  With the financial help of the community, this year’s campaign has a goal of $525,000 which will help individuals and families through our income based membership program to participate in a variety of programs while supporting community outreach programs which tackle the problems of hunger prevention with our Summer Foods Program, chronic diseases with LiveSTRONG at the Y, free health fairs and so much more.

    This year’s Annual Campaign theme is: “Imagine the Possibilities” and will feature many great fun events based on the lives and songs of “the Beatles”.  

• On Monday, February 9th, please join us and cheer on local celebrities at our Northern Door and Sturgeon Bay Program Centers for “the Long and Winding Treadmill Challenge”.
• On Tuesday, February 10th, take the “Beatles Trivia Challenge “and win fabulous prizes while testing your knowledge of the Fab 4.
• On Wednesday, February 11th, join us in our “Yellow Submarine” and enjoy free snacks, treats and submarine sandwiches.
• On Thursday, February 12th, we will have crafts and activities in our lobbies while “grooving” to the sounds of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”.
• To cap off the festivities on Friday, February 13th, with “Ain’t She Sweet” treats on “We Love Our Members Day”.

Together and with a “little help from our friends”, My Y Week and the Annual Campaign help to support our friends and neighbors to make our communities stronger by providing financial assistance for programs and services which support youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.  To learn how you can support the Door County YMCA’s Annual Campaign, please visit: http://www.doorcountyymca or contact Cindy Weber at 920-743-4949 or cweber@doorcountyymca.org

A BETTER BAG OF GROCERIES

Ministry Door County Medical Center and the Door County YMCA would like to extend an invitation to join us for our upcoming Workplace Wellness Roundtable which will take place from 8:00 am – 9:00 am on Wednesday, February 4th at the YMCA’s Lansing Avenue Program Center, 876 Lansing Ave. in Sturgeon Bay. Our featured speaker will be Lauren Lindsley, RDN, CD at Festival Foods, who will discuss the NuVal Nutritional Scoring System along with other free nutrition related resources offered at Festival Foods which will help you and your employees to shop smarter in the supermarket!

Snacks and refreshments will be served at this FREE event which is a great opportunity for CEO’s. Business Owners and Human Resource Directors to learn more about workplace wellness initiatives. Please register and save your spot today by calling Brenda Rosenstiel at 920-743-4949 or email brosenstiel@doorcountyymca.org   

Baylake Bank Playground Coming to YMCA Peterson Park

The Door County YMCA announced today a new community playground will be built early this summer directly north of the Sturgeon Bay Y Program Center in YMCA Peterson Park.   The Door County YMCA will partner with KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to bringing balanced and active play into the daily lives of all kids, particularly those growing up in poverty in America. 

Planning for the playground will begin in late winter when the KaBOOM! team will host a Design Day event during which members of the community – from adults to children – will gather to develop the theme for the playground. Kids will put crayons to paper and draw their dream playground. Elements from their drawings will be incorporated into the final design of the playground that will be built in June with the help of 200 community volunteers who will join together to build the playground in a single day. Design Day is also the first meeting for the playground committee that will determine how best to create and catalyze the new playspace so that the kids can get the balanced and active play they need to thrive.

Primary funding for the playground will be provided by a special gift from Baylake Bank. “The Peterson family has a long and significant history with our Bank, and their philanthropic example and passion for children and families has helped to make Sturgeon Bay and Door County a great place to live, “ said Robert J. Cera, President and CEO of Baylake Bank.  “We believe that this contribution is a strong example of our commitment to this community and the individuals and families we serve each day” Cera added. An additional gift to assist with the completion of the $100,000 playground project was provided by Errico and Patrizia Auricchio, longtime friend and neighbors of the Petersons.  The Raibrook Foundation will also provide support for the playground project.

The Baylake Bank Playground will face 19th Place and is part of a master plan for the ten acre Peterson Park.    A public restroom, made possible with the assistance of the Raibrook Foundation, is currently under construction and will serve the park area.  

Initial improvements to the property also include the installation of a three quarter of mile of walking path, a small amphitheater for youth programming and exercise programs, an additional sports field and a prairie garden area at the north end of the property.  Future improvements, to be made as funding is available, will include a multipurpose sports court, sand volleyball courts and splash pad.  A program to honor or memorialize friends and families with trees and park benches will be announced this spring.

“The YMCA is pleased to be able to provide this unique public space for our community,” said   YMCA CEO Tom Beerntsen. “This park is another extraordinary testimony to the generosity of the Peterson family.  The willingness of Baylake Bank, the Raibrook Foundation and the Auricchio family to support this special community project is greatly appreciated. I look forward to joining together with our volunteers this June to construct a playground that will be a gift to our community,” Beerntsen concluded.

Contact: 

Tom Beerntsen, YMCA, tbeerntsen@doorcountyymca.org, 920-743-4949 

Kristine Austria, KaBOOM!, kaustria@kaboom.org, 202-464-6427

# # #

About KaBOOM!

KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to bringing balanced and active play into the daily lives of all kids, particularly those growing up in poverty in America. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has collaborated with partners to build, open or improve nearly 16,000 playgrounds, engaged more than one million volunteers and served 7.4 million children. KaBOOM! creates great places to play, inspires communities to promote and support play, and works to drive the national discussion about the importance of play in fostering healthy lives and communities. To learn why #playmatters: visit kaboom.org or join the conversation attwitter.com/kaboom or facebook.com/kaboom.

A DAY ON, NOT A DAY OFF!

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: “What are you doing for others?””

-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

MLK Day of Service is a call of service of all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to some of our nations persistent problems. Every year on this day Americans across the country unite to serve their neighbors and communities. In addition uniting, let us work to acknowledge those keeping us safe with in our community, lend a helping hand to our neighbor and build a sense of solidarity among all members of Door County.

What can you do today and everyday to serve?

·         Write letters or send care packages to the military

·         Write Thank You letters to those serving our Community, Police Officers, Fire Fighters, Coast Guard, Nurses etc.

·         Help your neighbor with shoveling

·         Create cards for those living in Nursing Homes

·         Let elderly and those with children go ahead of you in line at the grocery store

·         Sign up to volunteer for future events

·         Donate clothing and toys that you no longer wear or use

Giving back is an important part of the Y’s work in the community. Powered by 600,000 volunteers across the nation, we make our neighborhoods stronger. Join us. #MLKDay #YMCA. Contact Alexis Fuller for volunteer opportunities at the Door County YMCA at  afuller@doorcountyymca.org or (920) 743-4949

Northern Door Program Center Welcomes The Photography of Jim Rossol

The Winged Goddess

This Bud's For You

Rossol's fine art photography will be decking all the halls of the Northern Door Program Center during the month of December and January as Jim brings the Y a photo journalistic tale of two peninsulas.  Images from his once long term vacation destination and home for the last twelve years, Door County, and his long standing current winter vacation destination, the Yucatan Peninsula, are extensively displayed. Monochromes, vivid color, representational, and abstract images compete for the viewer’s attention sometimes dramatically. The Northern Door Program Center in Fish Creek and is open Mon-Fri: 5:30am-8pm, Saturday: 7am-5pm, Sunday: 9 am-3pm.

Senator Lasee Visits the Sturgeon Bay Program Center

 On Monday, December 8, Senator Frank Lasee, Senate District 1, participated in the “Take Your Legislator to Work Day” program at the Door County YMCA.  Senator Lasee was the guest of Ms. Elizabeth Gierhahn through a program offered through the Wisconsin Board for People With Disabilities which seeks to raise awareness about the benefits of hiring individuals with disabilities and to show our state legislators “Real Jobs with Real Wages!”

Elizabeth led Senator Lasee on a 30 minute tour of her workplace at the YMCA where she is the attendant in the Peterson Aquatic Center’s water slide. Senator Lasee was introduced by Elizabeth to her co-workers and chatted about the many positive things she has experienced in her role at the Y. Elizabeth shared with Senator Lasee that “what she likes best about her job is getting the opportunity to work with and help the children”. Senator Lasee thanked Elizabeth for her service to the children of Door County. Mike McHugh, Director for the Y’s Aquatics Center praised Elizabeth as “an outstanding ambassador for the Y!”

Senator Lasee, Elizabeth Gierhahn, Mike McHugh and 

Loretta Gierhahn

The Take Your Legislator to Work Day provides a powerful opportunity to showcase the skills and talents of people with disabilities in the workplace and the power of integrated employment.

The Door County YMCA Focuses on Prevention during National Diabetes Awareness Month

As the prediabetes rate continues to rise, few Door County residents know they are at risk

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, and the Door County YMCA is encouraging residents of Door County to learn their risks for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, and to take preventive steps to potentially reduce their chances of developing the disease.

New statistics for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that one in four Americans (86 million people) have prediabetes, up from 79 million in 2010. Prediabetes is a condition in which a person’s blood glucose is elevated, but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis. Only 10 percent of those with prediabetes know they have it. With awareness and simple actions, people with prediabetes may prevent the onset of diabetes.

“As the number of new people with prediabetes continues to rise, it is important residents of Door County understand what a prediabetes diagnosis means, and options available to reverse course,” said Mary Claire McHugh, Senior Program and Healthy Living Director, of the Door County YMCA. “Fortunately, simple lifestyle changes can greatly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and the Y can help people make the necessary changes to improve health.”

Assisting in helping individuals decrease their risk of becoming diabetic is a priority for the Door County YMCA as we work to improve the overall health of our community. We off all current members, and those considering becoming a member, a free jumpstart consultation where we sit down individually and review their medical history, discuss their goals and help to create a program to become more active that also matches their particular interests. Follow up consultation are also available to all members as we work to provide encouragement and assistance to those needing helping in their journey to well being

We are always there to help our members make basic lifestyle changes that contribute to weight loss and decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes. Some changes that everyone can make include:

·         Eat fruits and vegetables every day.

·         Choose fish, lean meats and poultry without skin.

·         Aim for whole grains with every meal.

·         Be moderately active at least 30 minutes per day five days a week.

·         Choose water to drink instead of beverages with added sugar.

·         Speak to your doctor about your diabetes risk factors, especially if you have a family history or are overweight. 

To learn more about the Door County YMCA’s Healthy Living Programs please contact the Sturgeon Bay Program Center at 920.743.4949 or the Northern Door Program Center at 920.868.3660.